The Professional World: How to Contribute to a Happier Workplace Environment
By Juilee Malavade
When I was thinking about a topic to write about regarding today’s professional world, the first thing that popped into my mind was my ever-nearing graduation date and career placement within my STEM major. Almost all of us who have the end of their undergraduate careers looming closer feel the weight of coursework, workability and securing an interview grow heavier as employers make their picks for new hires. Yet, as many students find out, while placement and earning the job based on educational and technical prowess may feel rewarding, life at the workplace relies heavily on social interaction.
As you go through the motions of a 9 to 5, the moments in the workplace that stand out as memorable are generally positive social interactions made with colleagues. A great day at work could come from cooperating on a project just as much as from a funny joke your co-worker made during lunch. Thus, the satisfaction that allows people to say that they truly love their jobs comes just as much from the people with whom they work as from the work they do.. As a new hire out of college, you should seek to not only apply skills and knowledge to your career, but also to nurture a positive social presence throughout it all. The following five easy “do’s” show how you can contribute to a happy workplace:
1.) Smile. It may seem obvious, but smiling when you enter the workplace, and even as you work, can help boost your mood and the moods of others around you. Psychology Today noted a Swedish study where subjects were shown pictures of several emotions (joy, anger, fear, surprise) and were told to frown only when they saw a smiling face1. The researchers found that subjects were more likely to imitate the emotion they saw and had to make a conscious effort to turn down a smile. So, if you smile at someone, chances are they will want to smile back. A person smiling at you also activates the reward centers in your brain, and the more people that smile, the more positive vibes there are in the workplace!
2.) Bring food. If it’s Sunday night and you have all your work finished for the next day, consider bringing coffee, food or baking something for your co-workers. Food is a great conversation starter, promotes cooperation within groups, and also brightens the moods on slow work days. People will be very appreciative of you..
3.) Make an effort to know everyone. During breaks, make an effort to speak with a new member of your cohort every day. If there are large groups that convene and socialize, introduce the shyer or recently added team members to the rest of the group. Not only does the inclusion of everyone in social conversation improve the mood of the workplace, it also allows for more open exchanges of ideas, facilitating an efficient workforce.
4.) Assist in planning events. Encourage bonding activities and events with your coworkers to further promote cooperation. Many workplaces have gyms and social spaces for such gatherings. Help to plan events or suggest ideas such as barbeques, hiking trips or small gatherings every month or so to maintain a strong relationship with coworkers. Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to be friends with all your coworkers, but making an effort to support each other outside of work strengthens your network and workplace morale.
5.) Ask for help and opinion. When interacting with colleagues, many new hires see asking for help as a sign of weakness. Quite the opposite is true. Having someone assist you with a task not only helps your cause directly, but gives the person helping you a sense of happiness that you value their opinion. At the end of the day, people who feel valued tend to be more satisfied in their positions, and by promoting a culture where it’s okay to ask for assistance, the value of each worker’s position increases internally. Of course, you shouldn’t ask for an overwhelming amount of assistance to the point where you aren’t doing your job, but you should aim to show you are comfortable with what you know and that you are willing to learn more. And if anyone else in the workplace needs help on an issue that is your expertise, you should contribute and “pay it forward” as well.
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Originally published at www.saseconnect.org.
